Dennis, a Mississippi native, received some interest from Mississippi State near signing day in 2011, saying that they were "at the brink of coming to a deal."

"But it didn't come through," Dennis said.

Dennis, a qualifier out of high school, enrolled at Hinds C.C. in Raymond, Miss., to get more attention. After a strong freshman season, his path worked. Offers came in from Arkansas, Auburn, Missouri, Western Kentucky, Southern Miss, UAB, Louisiana-Lafayette and Memphis.

On Monday, Dennis sat down and settled on a list of finalists -- Missouri, Auburn and Arkansas. From there, he talked it over with his family.

"We felt like I would be at home if I went to Missouri," Dennis said. "They always checked in on me, made sure I was doing good in school. They cared about me, and I want to be around people who care."

Dennis committed to Cornell Ford and the Tigers on Tuesday. He said he isn't 100-percent sure, but believes Missouri wants him at cornerback.

"I'm big (6-foot-, 195-pounds) and physical," Dennis said. "I think my best skills are that I'm fast and strong. My press coverage is what I specialize in, and I ran a 4.38-second 40 this spring."

Dennis says his commitment is solid. He is a December graduate and will enroll at Missouri in January with three years remaining to play two.